For Nine, He Stayed
by Dragon'sHost
Summary: He promised her his life. He stayed for nine. FT Angst Week, Day 2 - Prompt: Spellbound
**A very belated entry for FT Angst Week!**

 **Day #2 – Spellbound**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

There was something very, very wrong with his old friends.

Leo lay crumpled on the cobblestones, Virgo and Aries beside him. The pink haired spirits' arm were draped around him, and they were surrounded by the other spirits of Lucy Heartfilia. Even Aquarius hovered at the edges of the group.

Not a one had dry eyes.

And Leo was screaming.

"What is going on?" the Spirit King questioned. Bent over, he peered at his distraught subjects. Although, he'd been around a long time. It wasn't difficult to guess what the matter might be.

"Lucy!" Leo gasped, raising his head to his king. "She... she... she wanted to save everyone. Even if... even if she couldn't... even if... So she... she unleashed her Third Origin. And then... she said goodbye." Another wail wafted up from him. "She'll never be able to summon us again!"

Aquarius trembled. "Brat!" she spat out. She brought a hand up to her mouth. "You were supposed to come and find me! Now what am I supposed to do?!" Scorpio wrapped his arms around her as she shook, and Aquarius leaned into his touch. "That damned... little brat... She never learns."

The King's eyes grew heavy with sorrow. "And where might your keys be now?"

"Princess..." Virgo hiccuped, the normally impassive spirit's face twisted in pain. "Princess gave our keys to Mistress Yukino. She will... She will treat us well."

"I don't care!" Leo shouted. "Lucy is... Lucy is the only one for me. She saved me. I promised I would spend the life she saved in her service. That was the deal, wasn't it, Spirit King?!" Tears dropped from his face, splattering loudly in the space. His lips trembled. "I promised," Leo repeated, his voice growing quieter. "I promised."

Then Leo tensed. Though the tears yet flowed freely down his face, determination gleamed in his eyes. "Send me back."

The King was taken aback. "What was that, my old friend?"

"Send me back!" Leo struggled to his feet, Aries and Virgo aiding him. "I don't care... if all I get to have is three more years with her. I'd rather have those three years, than the rest of eternity without her. Send me back. _Please._ "

"...No such precedent exists," the King intoned.

"Please," Leo implored again.

With a sigh, the Spirit King stroked his mustache in thought. After several long minutes, he spoke. "I do believe..." he stated carefully, "that breaking your promise, breaking your contract, is indeed grounds for exile from this world."

A smile spread across Leo's face.

"But," the King went on, "since this is the second time, there will have to be an additional penalty." He stared into his old friend's eyes. "She will not know you for who you are. Will this still be acceptable?"

Leo didn't hesitate. "Yes. So long as I can still watch over her, anything is fine."

The King smiled down at the leader of the Zodiac. "Then please, take good care of our old friend."

"I will."

* * *

Lucy watched the rain falling outside with distaste. Great. Now what was she going to do? There was no way she and Jason could do that interview now. Not when the weather was like this!

She groaned, and flopped back onto her bed. Maybe she could go by the guild; it had been a while since she'd stopped by to visit. Since before going back to work for Jason, now that she thought about it. Three weeks? Yeah... that sounded about right.

It had been two months since she'd lost her magic.

Two months without Plue's company. Two months without Cancer doing her hair. Two months without Sagittarius and his horrible puns. Two months without an, "I'm sorry!" from Aries. Two months without Capricorn lecturing her about her diet (which was starting to go, she had to admit). Two months without Gemini's pranks. Two months without Taurus's perverted mooning. Two months without Virgo asking for punishment. Two months without Scorpio being... Scorpio. Two months without Crux, Lyra, Pyxis, and Horologium.

Two months without her faithful, ever present lion.

Her heart squeezed in pain.

Two months was far too long.

But she had to get up, get moving on. Because, even if she bugged Yukino - and she was certain her friend would oblige without question - she would still have to spend the rest of her life without them constantly by her side.

She'd never gotten to fulfill her promise to Aquarius, either.

Natsu and Erza and Gray had promised to look for her. And it wasn't as if she wasn't looking into leads herself... but... even if she did find Aquarius' key, what would she do with it?

Probably give it to Yukino, too.

Yukino had cried when she'd handed her the shining keys, and so had Lucy. It was an ironic twist of fate. The silver-haired Celestial mage had once tried to give her keys to Lucy, only to end up with Lucy's instead.

But... at least everyone was still alive. Lucy at least had that.

A strange noise outside her window caught her attention. A... mewl? And was that scratching?

If Happy left marks on her window again, she was going to knock the blue fuzzball off the roof. The landlady had already chewed her out for the last time.

Irritated, Lucy sat up. "Happy, I swear to Mavis if you put just one - _just one_ \- scratch on that window pane, so help me I will-"

Her voice trailed off as she realized that the blue fur of her friend was nowhere in sight.

Instead, sitting on her roof right next to her window, sat a tiny, shivering ball of orange fluff.

Lucy threw open her window without a second thought. "Oh my goodness, you poor thing!" she cooed, scooping the kitten into her arms. "You're soaked through... let's get you dried off and warm." Carefully, she shut the window once more and took the kitten with her into the bathroom. Grabbing a towel, she sat on the toilet seat and set to drying off her tiny charge.

The kitten mewled in indignation, though its cries were weak.

"Just how long were you out there?" Lucy wondered aloud. "And how did you get all the way up here in the first place?"

It cried out again, then sneezed.

Now that it was somewhat less drenched, its fur poofed out in several different directions. It was rather adorable. It kind of looked like a tabby, Lucy thought.

Then it turned its small face up towards Lucy, and her heart clenched in agony. Around its eyes were markings. Completely normal in tabbies, it must be said. But... for all the world, Lucy thought they looked a bit like...

Like sunglasses.

That was just... no. She'd given Loke's key to Yukino.

But... just maybe...

"You look a lot like a dear friend of mine!" Lucy laughed, rubbing the kitten's ears. "Do you mind if I call you Loke?"

Loke mewled, and began to purr, leaning into her touch.

* * *

"Welcome back, Leo the Lion."

Loke stared up at his king. He had not expected to return to the Celestial World after his death; he didn't even properly remember how he'd arrived. One moment, Lucy had been petting his fur and crying - he'd been hurt, bleeding, after jumping on a thug who'd meant to take her life - and then the next, he was here.

"Is Lucy... is Lucy okay?!" he asked, frantic. "Was I able to save her?"

"Yes. She is well."

Loke sighed in relief. "Thank the stars."

The Spirit King smiled. "Five years, old friend. Longer than we had anticipated. Was it worth it?"

"Every second."

He nodded. "That is good to hear." There was a pause between them. "So? What are you waiting for, then?"

Loke frowned, not comprehending what the Spirit King was trying to say. "What are you talking about?"

"Shouldn't you be getting back? After all... I thought cats were supposed to have nine lives."

"Yes!"

* * *

Lucy looked over the litter of kittens in the window display, subconsciously searching for orange fluff. Her heart ached as she turned away to continue on home.

She couldn't help it. She just... she missed him so much. Her companion for the last five years. Just as fierce and loving as her lion had been.

She missed them both. So much.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement in a cardboard box left in the alley.

It couldn't be...

Sure enough, there was a kitten thrashing about in the box, desperately clawing at the walls of his prison.

"Hey there..." she said, catching its attention.

When it turned towards her voice, she saw those familiar sunglasses-shaped markings.

"Let's go home, yeah?"

And so Loke went home with her once more.

* * *

He once promised her that he would spend his life with her.

For nine, he stayed.


End file.
